Portrait
by moody.muddy
Summary: * Re-uploaded as changed this slightly * Christmas Story, rated M for language
1. Christmas Eve - Dusk

Trembling as the cold December air whistled through the forest penetrating her even through her clothes and warming spell she took a step forwards, the snow crunching beneath her feet. Only now the mausoleum was becoming visible, its facade aged and darkened with the years that had passed by, the coming darkness making it seem even more forbidding and unwelcoming.

Turning to look over her shoulder at the forest behind her, shivering as she did. The trees, naked now in the winter, stood out against the fog that was rolling in and were seeming as if from some hell place with the trunks twisted and gnarled, black where the waning sunshine failed to penetrate the treetops to the floor below it. Swallowing again, her eyes still turned back to the forest, to where home and warmth was she resolutely turned back and moved closer to where she was going. Her mother, she would hate it here, it was too dark and cold, there was no life here, not even the fae moved among the trees and the leaf litter. In life Bellatrix Lestrange had needed someone around her like she needed the air to breathe, yet where her aunt had laid her mother's body was a desolate area, the gates heavy and chained, enchanted to open only for those who were a Black by birth. Not even her guardian, Rodolphus, was allowed to visit his late wife's resting place, Aunt Narcissa had taken care of that when she blamed him for her death.

Pushing open the door and entering the sepulchre she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, straining her eyes to see anything in the dark then crying out in shock and fer as something had touched her,something wispy and freezing against her porcelain skin. Turning on the spot she used wandless magic to light the wall sconces she assumed was there then sagged against the grey stones behind her as in the light she saw it was just a long abandoned cobweb she'd stumbled into. Looking around she gritted her teeth, a wave of anger washing over her; no one had been here for years. After all that her mother had sacrificed, even her freedom and her sanity and her life, only to be forgotten by everyone. But not her. Never her, though she had been only two when her mother had gone home she had sought out her mother's things and kept the treasures as she called them; from the scruffy teddy bear she slept with at night to the raven skull necklace she always wore to the wedding ring she now wore on her right hand, the old spell that was on it broken the moment her mother had died. She knew why her aunt had done this of course, they all did, it was the only way for aunt Cissy to keep her sanity; to believe her sister was simply away on a mission and would be coming back, that she would no more be alone now that her uncle and cousin were both locked away with the rest of the death eaters in Azkaban.

It had been her guardian who had finally revealed where her mother's last resting place was. After her aunt had laid her in it every mention of the plane had been obliterated to leave no shred of evidence that Bellatrix was dead. Rodolphus though had promised her whole life he would find her, and finally the night before he had old her exactly where it was before he had again drowned himself at the bottom of a bottle of firewhiskey, leaving her to do as she pleased. Though she was seventeen and of age now he still treated her like she was five and made of glass or else he treated her like she did not exist

. Moving through the antechamber where she was she glanced up as she saw the painting of her mother. It wasn't moving, but it caught her eye. It had been years since she had seen her, yet looking on it now she smiled, a vague memory coming back to her of her mother when she had been alive still. Moving on she pressed her hands flat against the double doors leading to the main room and pushed, revealing the flickering of everlasting candles that were surrounding the white marble coffin with it's stone figure looking she was simply asleep and would wake at any moment.

Picking up a candle she circled around the room before finally sinking to her knees by the side of the coffin, tears in her eyes. She could barely remember her mother; not her voice or the songs they would sing, nor the scent of the shampoo she used either. All she had was the treasured things she had made her own, but they didn't give much comfort. Not when she was longing to be held again by her mother, to be told she was loved and wanted, that she was not just a tool or a nuisance as Rodolphus had said to her for all of the last fifteen years since he had raised her. It was the sound of a song being sung that had her looking up and around the room. She couldn't see anyone else, or anything that could be doing it, yet the more she focused the more she could hear that voice. Shivering, though not from the cold, she glanced around again as she got to her feet and about to leave the sepulchre for now and come back when it was during the daytime she stopped as she noticed a portrait of her mother. It was empty, yet she could've sworn that it was moving just now. Not really thinking she reached and took it from the wall then hurried out and into the snow again.


	2. Christmas Eve - Night

Hurrying through the formal gardens and up the long drive to the Malfoy manor where she lived she found her steps getting slower and slower the closer she got to the house. It was only that, a house, a place to provide her a shelter but for the last fifteen years it had never been a home, not after her mother had died and both her uncle Lucius and cousin Draco were sentenced to life in Azkaban for the part they played in the war. Stopping by the fountain and sinking down to sit in the snow that covered the curved edging she let out a breath and watched it turn to mist in the air, "I don't' want to go inside". It was said to herself, it was all she ever was, alone. Her guardian and aunt were not bothered about her and she'd never been allowed a pet, not even a familiar when school had told her to get one, she'd had to borrow the owl that belonged to her guardian.

In the dark and quiet gardens she thought again of her mother's mausoleum, the portrait held still in her arms but she was reluctant to look, if she looked and it was not moving it would crush her hopes and she wasn't ready for that. Was it a ghost she'd sensed in that place, and if so was it her mother? The thought cheered her up at first then her face fell again as she realised if it was her mother's ghost she'd not been able to see her. Her grief was suddenly as fresh as it had been that summer's day when she'd been told both her parents had been killed and that Rodolphus was missing, the lump in her chest expanding so it was difficult to breathe. Until the vice behind her made her jump in shock and fright so she whirled too fast making her head swim and her clutching hands on the portrait to release briefly, enough time for it to go crashing down to the snow white marble beneath their feet.

"What the fuck is that and where've you been?". Up close to him now where Rodolphus had pushed his face into hers, his big hand grasping the black curls so like his late wife's he grimaced at her and shook her, "I asked you questions you little cunt". Shoving her away from him he grabbed for the portrait, in his half alcohol induced fug though he missed it and Delphi was able to grab it back and hold it protectively to her chest just as Narcissa walked in, the commotion having proved enough to pull her from her day dreams for awhile, "what is going on here?". The interest didn't reach her eyes though and even as Rodolphus was talking to the blonde so Narcissa was leaving the room, Delphi behind her, using her aunt as an excuse to escape from her guardian. He was a mean fucker when he had not been downing the fire whiskey all night, but after a few drinks had got to him he turned into a thug as the muggles would say

Taking the stairs two at a time up to her room she didn't look back and it was only when she had slammed into her room then warded it csed that she released the breath she'd not been aware she had been holding as she sunk down to st on the edge of her bed. The portrait was still held in her arms for the moment and she left it there for the comfort, trying to remember what it had been like to be held the same way by her mother. It was too long ago though and as she let her head drop she loosened her grip on the frame, remembering other pictures she had seen in old copies of The Daily Prophet, of madness in blue eyes so much like her own, yet she could not remember her mother and a ear tracked down her face. From what she had been told she had been inseparable from her mother and they would spend all day together playing and being outdoors. As grief welled inside for who she had lost all those years ago she turned to set the empty portrait beside the fireplace. It was a good place for her to be she decided, her mother always did love to be by the fireplace when she had been alive. Stepping back again she gazed at the Christmas tree on the other side of Bellatrix's portrait and sighed, it was another Christmas the same; no presents beneath it, no decorations save for this tree she'd cut down from her aunt's garden and no warmth. In this house Christmas was just another day for them. It had not always been that way,she'd once seen a picture of her first Christmas when everyone had been happy and smiling, the house decorated behind them.. But by her second Christmas her mother was gone and everyone in the house they had never stopped mourning her.


	3. Christmas Day

Getting ready for bed that night she kept looking around at the portrait, hoping to see it move, yearning for any contact with her mother, the only person who had ever loved her. Each glance though was disappointed as still the portrait remained empty, yet in that mausoleum she could've sworn she had seen her mother moving in it. Swallowing a lump in her throat as she climbed into bed she stared harder than ever at the golden frame, hoping that she would get to see her even once. But as she was settling down and her eyes were closing as sleep claimed her the portrait still remained empty.

Jumping awake and sitting up in bed she stared around her room in alarm, her eyes wide and the duvet clutched to her chest so tight her knuckles had turned pure white. Something had woken her, and after the night before she wouldn't' be surprised if it was her guardian coming to hit her again for looking like his late wife. It was the song that calmed her, a half remembered melody and that voice, she knew it, yet she didn't. It was like a half remembered dream, yet it calmed her as nothing else would ever calm her. Blinking her eyes she used wandless magic to relight the fire in the grate then froze with wide eyes again as in the frame, her mother was moving and singing to her. When Bellatrix noticed her daughter was awake she grinned, "you never used to sleep so soundly, you would always wake at the slightest noise".

Staring at the portrait stil she slipped out of the bed and went to kneel on the matt just in front of it, her gaze raking over her mother trying to burn the image into her mind even as her tears were falling, "Mummy!". For long moments they didn't speak, they were both too busy looking at the other, drinking in the sight of them. It was Bella who spoke first, "my little dolphin, you've grown to look like me". Blinking hard at the portrait, Delphi, for the first time in her short life, smiled. She smiled brightly so it reached her eyes and carefully she reached out a finger to her mother's hair, "I like to look like you mummy".

It was the sound of the small cough that had them both looking around to see the house elf carrying a breakfast tray filled with fruit and croissants. Seeing the moving figure of Bellatrix just after putting the tray on the table the elf started and dropped the tray he had been using, "Miss Bella!". After letting the elf fuss over placing the breakfast just right and talking to her mother, Delphi shooed him out of her room then rewarded the door closed, she wanted her mother to herself now she could see and her her. Dropping down on the rug, ignoring her breakfast, she smiled at her mother's image, "hello mummy..". Not knowing what to say she fell silent again then turned back to her breakfast while her pale cheeks had flushed, after everything she had always thought to say her mind had gone blank. Luckily Bella was able to step in and after some of the awkwardness had faded they were laughing together just as she thought they had done when she was a toddler.

As soon as breakfast was finished, and she had realised it was drawing closer to being very late morning she rushed away to shower, though she didn't wish to spend a moment apart from her mother. She'd missed her all these long years. Hurrying back into her bedroom half an hour later she stopped as she saw the portrait was empty again. Dragging her feet as she crossed the room she slowly got herself dressed, the day it had lost its meaning for her again, but as she was finishing smoothing down the skirt of the dress she wore she turned then jumped as her mother was there again, "why the long face my little dolphin? It's Christmas Day, it's time to celebrate, nd i hear it has been snowing". Swallowing even as her face brightened again she suddenly grinned, "people have been debating if it would be a white Christmas this year. Shall we go and play?". Her eyes were bright as she pulled on her boots and her coat, laughing at the story of her mother's last snowman she'd made where she hadn't realised it was built over a rabbits burrow and as she had put the carrot onto the snowman's face so a fluffy head had popped through the middle of it and stolen the carrot then retreated to his burrow again, leaving the new snowman a mess of snow instead.

Taking the portrait outside into the gardens was easier than she thought; her aunt had locked herself away in her rooms again and Rodolphus was already passed out by the fire as she moved through the manor, her mother wanting to stop briefly and see her husband again but seeing him passed out had driven some of the happiness from her eyes so they did not linger for long. That shadow didn't take long to pass though and soon they were both laughing again, while Delphi made a snow angel then moved to make a snow thestral, while Bellatrix gave suggestions and watched. After being in Azkaban for so long the old was something she had abhorred, but today, as she was dead and just a portrait now she found she did like the snow after all, especially when her daughter was laughing and playing with her again. Almost like old times. Almost.

The rest of the day was spent in the gardens either walking and talking or playing in the snow until Delphi's hands were almost frozen as well. It was only as the sky was starting to darken again that they made their way back inside, again passing no one else as they climbed to the third floor where Delphi's bedroom was. Instead of putting her mother back by the fire though she sat her on the rocking chair beside her bed then sat cross legged on the edge of her bed while she ate the meal that had been left for her; a vegan nut roast that had Delphi laughing at the crinkled nose of disgust her mother was giving her plate.

Lighting the candles awhile later so the room was bathed in only the light from the fire in the grate and the flames from the candles she settled on her bed again, her head propped up by her hand as she listened to her mother telling her stories; of Christmases with her two sisters to Delphi's first Christmas and Delphi then told her mother about school and the boys she was seeing. All too soon though her eyelids were starting to droop and her yawns were getting bigger until Bella interrupted Delphi's story of the mischief some Gryffindor kid had cased last day of term to urge her daughter into bed.

Settled in bed with the covers around her and that raggedy teddy bear clutched in her ars Delphi turned anxious eyes to her mother, "you won't leave me will you mummy? Today, it was the best Christmas i've ever had and i don't want to lose you again". On the verge of tears at the thought it took a few moments to hear what Bella was saying, then she smiled, though it was still wobbly as after all her mother wasn't there in person, "I won't leave you my little dolphin, not now, not when this was the best day for me as well". Swiping at a couple of tears that had fallen Delphi smiled broadly suddenly, "this was the Christmas present i've always wanted; time with you mummy. We don't celebrate it here in this house and there's never been a present, but if i was to get one would always have asked for time with you. Thank you mummy, this has been the best Christmas ever". Swallowing tears herself all Bella could do was watch as Delphi slipped into sleep, her little girl was so grown up now but she'd never be alone again.


End file.
